illusion
s about the challenges in Afghanistan. The change in command comes as Nato forces begin passing control of some areas to their Afghan counterparts.
The United States Senate is to hold daily sessions including at weekends until legislation is passed to raise the government's limit on borrowing. The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said this was necessary to prevent the US from defaulting on its obligations. Meanwhile, the American Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has urged Europe to act more
forcefully
to solve the crisis in the eurozone. Chris Morris reports.
The US treasury secretary is now urging Europe to get its act together to contain what he calls the escalating debt crisis in the eurozone. It's a sign that everyone knows the crisis will ripple far beyond European shores if it continues to worsen. Something will emerge when eurozone leaders meet on Thursday, but will it be comprehensive enough to calm the markets? The trouble is there are still competing ideas about how to put together a second bailout for Greece. The challenge is producing an agreement that everyone can live with.
The Venezuelan government says there is no doubt that President Hugo Chavez will stand for re-election next year despite the fact that he's undergoing cancer treatment in Cuba. Earlier, President Chavez issued an
upbeat
message ahead of a second day of chemotherapy treatment, saying he would win his battle for life.